Senior Dogs For Dummies?

by Susan McCullough

Covers wellness, nutrition, and socialization

Keep your dog happy and healthy through the golden years

Senior dogs are special creatures with special needs.

This friendly guide provides reassuring, positive advice on handling the physical and emotional issues involved in caring for your beloved companion. You'll see how aging affects your dog, how to cope with common ailments, and what you can do to help your senior live a joyful, high-quality life.

Praise for Senior Dogs For Dummies

"The book is a resource that will enhance life both for senior dogs and for the humans who love them."
- Teri Goodman, Coordinator, The Senior Dogs Project, www.srdogs.com

"A dog who has lived his lifetime with you is a precious jewel to be loved and treasured. Susan has captured that spirit."
- Liz Palika, author of Purebred Rescue Dog Adoption

Discover how
* Meet your senior's dietary needs
* Safely exercise your senior
* Manage health costs
* Teach an older dog new tricks
* Gain inspiration from stories about super senior dogs

288 pages, Paperback

First published July 2, 2004

Reviews

[M.A. Kropp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Senior Dogs for Dummies is, of course, one of the many For Dummies series of books, on just about everything. They share a common format, with clear, understandable writing and a straightforward layout. They can help make a complex subject approachable to anyone.

The Senior Dogs version is a good starting handbook for anyone who already lives with a senior dog, and can also benefit those whose dogs may not officially be seniors yet, but who are approaching that stage of canine life.

The book touches on many aspects of life with an older dog, from determining if your dog really is a senior (it's not always just a matter of number of years), to the special dietary needs of older dogs, to common and some less common ailments, right up to the final decision to let go. Things are explained in simple to understand language. McCullough doesn't go into in deep detail when talking about medical issues, but the basics are there, as well as strategies to help both owner and dog enjoy life to the fullest. The need for continued socialization is discussed, with suggestions for keeping an older dog engaged and active.

The last sections of the book deal with the most difficult decision faced by the pet owner: when to say good-bye. McCullough gives advice on making the decision compassionately and fairly, with emphasis on knowing what is best for your dog. She also gives a good explanation of what will happen at the end, for owners who have never had to euthanize a pet. The explanations and descriptions are straightforward. She doesn't pull punches or use the euphemisms one hears many times. Still, the compassion and emotion are evident. She's been through it, and you can tell reading here.

As the owner of a senior dog, I didn't find a lot of new information here that I didn't know before, but if you are new to the world of older dogs, or are just anticipating your dog's later years, this book can be a valuable reference. I did learn a few new things, and I think I will keep the book handy on my shelf as both my dog and I go through his senior years.

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good book if you have a senior dog. I highly reccommend it.

[Mary Foxe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This helped me make my dear dog's last years more comfortable.